Alpha To Omega
by clueless in seattle
Summary: A Case Study for everyone who only has time to read two chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__All of the characters are the property of Dick Wolf. I thank him, the writers, the directors and all the great actors who brought them "to life" for our benefit. Any "liberties" I have taken with them stems from my fond admiration (and a few personal quirks I will seek "help" for)._

_**AN:**__ This story is not set within the accepted "canon" for the characters as it is only officially portrayed by the TV series. So I get to "fool around" with them in ways in which they've never been seen, stretching that to the limit and suspending the "reality" that is "fiction" to start with…now there's a contradiction in terms!!! _

_**(And yeah Goren I know the proper word for that is oxymoron...if you want egg plant parmesan again cook it yourself...and try learning how to spell aubergine)**_

**ALPHA**

**Friday 9****th**** July**

_**The Beeches, Long Island**_

It had started in the usual way.

A seemingly random group of people moving in unpredictable ways across the room. Some in uniform appearing to guard doors or spaces. Others in civilian clothes talking to each other and what looked to be servants, notepads and pens in hand. Whilst the wearers of the CSU windcheaters flashed cameras, placed items in plastic bags and tried not to fall over the gurney the impatient medical examiner's people had placed near the door.

Eames and Goren made their way through the chaos helped by the senior detective on scene, who indicated what could be witnesses should be removed into the cathedral like space of the hallway.

"Expected to see _Major Case_" Mallory shrugged. "Phoebe Walters being the wife of a deputy mayor and all"

Eames moved her foot out the way less it be trampled once again by her partner's keenness to see the body as soon as possible.

"I guess our prime suspects could be the angry teachers of Queens" she said.

Ed Walters had made himself very unpopular during the recent controversy about school re-organisations and closures in the Borough, though it seemed unlikely a redundant biology teacher would exert revenge on Phoebe Walters. She kept a low profile and was more likely to be seen at a pool party than addressing an angry picket line.

Mallory grunted "Your problem now Alex"

He went on to tell her Mrs Walters had spent most of the morning at the Country Club and returned home to take a sandwich lunch just before one. In what was apparently her morning room. Eames tried not to smile as she listened. Not at the fact Phoebe didn't respond from the butler's knock to retrieve the tray, nor at the information he tried another hour later and finding the door locked, accessed this room via the open doors to the terrace.

It was at the sight of Goren, almost hopping from foot to foot with impatience and visibly holding gloved hands behind his back to stop himself reaching out. Between Mallory's voice she could half hear him asking questions the unfortunate ME stood little chance of answering at this stage. And her replies growing more and more tetchy in tone. Add another to the list of doctors Goren had annoyed the heck out of, even if he had gone on to date a couple of them in the past.

With the news there was no obvious sign of break in or threats to the owners of _"The Beeches"_ that the servants knew of, Mallory excused himself and Eames re-joined her partner.

She knew the body of Mrs Walters had been found slumped over the desk as if in a faint or asleep. But now the victim, subjected to the initial exam was slumped like a rag doll in the chair, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth.

A mouth Goren's gloved hands pried open and peered into before the hapless new ME had a chance.

"Bit her tongue" he said in that tone told you a suspicion had been confirmed but without any hint of triumph or boasting.

Eames had come to the view long ago that Goren was either so often correct he'd used up his lifetime supply of _"gloat"_ or just took _"being right" _for granted. She almost squawked in unison with the ME as he poked a finger in and hooked some glutinous glob from the victim's jaws. Not sure as the sound came out of her mouth if it was empathy with the lady whose professional territory he was trampling upon. Or an _"eeeurgh"_ moment of minor revulsion she had mainly learned to keep under control these days. Even when he sniffed it.

"Tuna" Goren said with a gesture at the desk.

Amongst other things there was a plate containing one wholemeal sandwich with a pinkish filling and one with bites out of it. Positioned oddly as if pushed there by the victim or another during a brief struggle. It pointed to a surprise attack whilst she was eating and probably from behind, given the position of the chair relative to the terrace doors seemed to be the obvious point of unseen entry.

"Signs of manual strangulation and with a ligature judging from the bruises starting to show" said the ME to Eames.

As she went through the classic signs on the body and confirmed a TOD consistent with the rough outline of the butler's statement, Eames realised why she wasn't getting the benefit of additional comment from Goren. More of that anatomical and physiological detail Eames didn't need to know or often didn't want to know.

He was standing with that slightly baffled expression on his face. The one that alternated with almost bashful recognition he'd done something wasn't a good idea. Because he now had a glob of evidence that should be saved stuck on the end of his finger and no-where to put it.

The ME finished by asking if they could remove Mrs Walters and flourishing a bag under Goren's nose.

Eames noticed him try hard and almost succeed. To keep the _"guilty schoolboy"_ expression off his features as he removed the glove and dropped it in with a regretful little murmur.

Since he carried more gloves than loose change, Goren's left paw was covered by a fresh one by the time the body was being removed and they went to look at a sports type bag left beside one of the sofas.

Eames pulled on the handle of a tennis racquet.

"Jives with how the butler said she spent the morning" she said peering at it.

Then added "Wonder if a thousand buck bat improves your game?"

"Dunno" replied Goren with a slight frown.

Though Eames guessed what he didn't know and was really puzzling was if she was right about the cost of the racquet. And, if so, how she came by that knowledge. She chose not to enlighten him.

Goren was arranging some other items that you might expect a woman to be carrying for a morning spent playing tennis and passed to Eames a small roll of fabric.

Unfolded it turned out to be _Calvin Klein_, definitely male underwear containing a gold watch claiming to be made by _Cartier._

Eames handed the watch over "Has a serial number we can trace Goren"

"Wonder if tennis was the only thing she was playing this morning" he replied.

"I'll put out an APB for a man wearing no shorts or watch" snorted Eames.

It was on the tip of Goren's tongue to point out he rarely wore a watch. But that was one trap he did see coming and neatly avoid stepping into it.

"So why has Mrs Walters got these things?" Goren asked hoping for one of those insights into the feminine psyche occasionally eluded him.

"Trophies? Souvenirs of some energetic mixed doubles?" shrugged Eames. "Did you never discover any small items missing?"

She never got an answer to that as she saw that invisible light go on in her partner's head. Goren dived across the room saying something about the torn sheet in the blotter.

As he eased it from the leather binder and tried to make out the backward smudges, Goren tried not to think about his underwear drawer or to inventory tie clips and cufflinks that may have vanished over the years.

_**To be concluded...**_


	2. Chapter 2

**OMEGA**

**Friday 23rd July**

_**Interview Rooms, Major Case**_

Captain Danny Ross refilled his water cup and returned his attention to the room beyond the one-way glass and the sounds coming from the speaker. He had lost count of the occasions like this.

Eames and Goren next door with what they were sure was the prime suspect in the murder of Phoebe Walters. Armed only with their wits and evidence so thin and fragile it would never stand up in court with a smart defence attorney. Tissue paper they had to turn into something rock solid via an admission of guilt.

He watched them play the _"nice cop/nasty cop"_ routine. The voice of Eames and her words harsh, insistent and verging on aggressive. While Goren as he did so often, mirrored the body language of the suspect to set them at ease, spoke more quietly and used words of sympathy and persuasion. It was hard to put your finger on the exact moment when they switched around.

The moment when Goren began to draw on all those observations made during previous encounters with the guy. Mental notes of body language and words he began to throw back at him. Digging into his psyche, finding the weak spots of character and background to needle, to wheedle and to break the calm demeanour.

Ross still did not know how much those flaws and weaknesses were part of Goren's own character because he was able to identify them with such apparent ease. To what extent he laid bare his own soul, his own dark thoughts and privately held fears. And to some extent Ross didn't care so long as Bobby got the job done.

And, as her partner picked at the weak spots, rubbed on the sores of discomfort and opened old scars, Alex did her job. Knowing through long experience when to throw in those solid titbits of evidence they did have to support Goren's assertions. And the clever way she used _"could"_ and _"may"_ as she laid out for the guy what they still expected to uncover. Their conditional meanings lost on a man now rattled and very discomforted by Goren's exposure of his motivations.

It was not long before uniforms were escorting the perp to holding cells and Eames was gathering the bagged evidence and various papers. Ross had switched off the sound so he didn't hear if Goren, back to him, said a word. He was fairly sure Alex did not speak but he could not fail to miss that look she gave her partner. The one that that had a touch of _"well done"_ but mostly appeared to convey sympathy. For what the process had taken from him.

As she left the room and he turned his back on it, Ross saw Goren's head go into his hands. It would stay there a minute or two as he mentally re-grouped and regained a little emotional energy before returning, as if nothing had happened, to the Squad Room.

Eames stepped into the observation area.

"Nicely done" said Ross. "I'll give the DA a call"

She nodded "I always wanted to work a case where it turned out the butler did it"

Ross half smiled at the recollection of a few classic crime novels and black and white movies.

"Is...um...are we...okay...later I mean?"

"Uhuh" she smiled.

_**Major Case Squad Room**_

Eames leaned over to take something from Goren's desk. In return she got that slightly irritated look. He liked things just so, hated his space being touched or things moved and had all the annoying qualities of a neat freak.

Like putting witness statements in plastic folders which in this instance and thanks to her rush, slid all over and in some cases, to the floor.

As she scrambled to pick them up Alex did not look in his direction. Bobby's most annoying expression was that _"told you so"_ one.

She turned to her computer and began to take it out on the innocent keys, well aware she was getting hot and her haste was starting to slow her down. Goren's calm, methodical and therefore more accurate approach to the resulting paperwork just fuelled the fire on this occasion.

"You coming for a beer later?" he enquired mildly.

"No" she said shortly as she tapped the delete key.

"Something else to do?"

The pause in the tapping was fractional before she replied "Yeah"

"Alex? If you need to get away, have a date or family thing I'll finish off if you want"

Eames glanced at the clock on the wall behind him, well aware that if they had ever kept score on which of them had helped out the other the most they were probably even.

"I'll finish this first" she answered.

"Sure"

Eames was aware of him almost unfolding himself from a seated position to go get some water or a soda. Five minutes later she was out the door.

Goren finished organising all the papers and evidence on his desk the way he liked them, flipped shut his folder and gave an unseen little shake of the head and smile to himself.

Wondering if Alex could really expect him not to have picked up on the change of _"atmosphere"_ between her and their Captain and speculating where Ross planned to take her tonight. Which reminded him of something else.

He still had to book a table for tomorrow night for himself and the new ME.

_**THE END**_

_**AN:**__** So who cares what might have happened in the middle!**_


End file.
